


I'd Been A Red Once

by orphan_account



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M, Red Versus Blue AU, RvB AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-17
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-02-25 19:49:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2634071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Geoff hadn't signed up for Freelancer. He hadn't wanted to be a part of the project, he hadn't wanted to leave his happy group of reds who never had any real worries. Yet here he was forced into it anyways and trapped fighting battles that were questionable as fuck. Let alone the shady new gear and sketchy way the Director's Counselor would answer where the AI came from....</p>
<p>Something wasn't right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'd liked being Gold.

Geoff hadn’t joined Project Freelancer. He hadn’t even known about it. No one in his squad had. So it’d been a complete surprise to get told he was moving to it, that he was specially picked out for it. Considering he was nothing but a journalist, there was nothing that set him apart from the rest of the team he’d been working with for almost half a year now. It didn’t matter, they’d picked him and there was no choice for him, he had to go join this project he’d never heard of. When he met others who had actually tried out for the project, he almost felt bad. Or, at least, he would have felt bad if there was actually time to. All Geoff had the time to do was learn what he was actually getting into.

A special group of people, of which they wouldn’t give him a sure number, who would be going to win the war for Earth. For whatever was left of it by the time they were done. The station had been nothing like his original deployment. There were ships everywhere, the place was fucking huge, and there were so many people everywhere. Most of them were in white armor, and seemed to almost blend in to the ship. A select few, however, were in brightly coloured armor and his attention was drawn straight to them. The one in blue was fighting the one in purple, only pausing when a red raised their arm. It looked like they would have killed one another if there hadn’t been anyone to stop them. That boded well for his future.

The only person who approached him also seemed to be the only person who wasn’t in armor. Geoff had assumed they were the director, but he was proved wrong. Apparently the director didn’t have time to meet with the people they had specifically picked and ripped from their comfortable original deployed life. Instead, they sent their counselor- a kind lady with her blonde hair in a bun named Ashley. At least she didn’t mind when he complained- just noted something down on her clipboard and started to explain how his life would work here. She would not, however, explain why he’d been picked. Why he’d been forced to join.

In the end, she left him with the Freelancer in blue who’d been fighting earlier. Their helmet was off now and they smiled at him.

“So you’re our new guy? I’m Ryan. Welcome to Project Freelancer.” Blue guy said, sticking out his hand. Geoff took it and shook.

“Name’s Geoff. Thanks.” He replied, switching between looking around and inspecting the new face.

“Normally Jack would take newbies and show them around, but your ship came early so he hasn’t had time to recover from getting his ass beat. So I guess I’ll show you what everything is and then hand you off to Linds. She’ll know where you’re bunking and where your armor is.”

“I’m in armor?”

“Your new armor. Anyways, over there is the training room. It’s pretty public because the director thinks we should be used to the feeling of always being watched and know how to avoid detection. Above it is the meeting room. It’s mostly used by freelancers who can’t sleep. Down that hall upstairs is the Director’s Office. You don’t need to know where it is, you’ll never meet them. I’ve been here for two years and I still haven’t. Next to that is the Counselor’s office. Ashley’s good, she’ll listen, but watch what you say. If you complain about orders, the director will know. Downstairs through this hall is the cafeteria, over here is the locker room- it’s just one. There’s no separation so be prepared for that. Showers just next to that, and dorms are down the way. Everything else is off limits unless you’re sent there. Congratulations on joining freelancers, you’ve made a terrible mistake.”

Before Geoff could protest, he’d been left in the middle of the hallway with no company. He had no idea where to go. Eventually a woman with red hair and black armor found him. Apparently this was the Linds- or Lindsay, as she said- who Ryan was supposed to hand him off to instead of just fucking leaving him. Not that Geoff cared. She showed him to his dorm and his locker before leading him through twisting hallways to what seemed like a vast armory. There were so many weapons, so many suits of armor- and Geoff thought for a moment that he’d seen a hologram. He was given green armor, forced to abandon his old golden armor, and then was left to find his own way back with only a warning that he’d have early training tomorrow.

The only thing Geoff could really say by the time he reached his room, was that freelancers fucking sucked.

Lindsay came to get him at 7. She woke him up and drug him straight to the training room as soon as he’d put on his armor. No showers, no breakfast, no greeting. Nothing but her gloved hands pushing him around. The computer’s voice rang clear over his head but he wasn’t fully awake and couldn’t tell what it was saying. In fact, he wasn’t even sure what was going on until Lindsay’s fist connected with the side of his helmet. This place was awful. He hated it so much. There had to be better ways to wake up newbies.

“When you can land a punch on me, we’ll break.” Lindsay said, egging him on.

“Fuck that.” Geoff replied, but still stood ready to fight. He wasn’t going to get tossed around just for fun.

The next punch should have connected with his side but Geoff saw through the motion. He grabbed her wrist and pushed it towards the outside of the holographic ring, bringing his right foot up to kick her. She caught his ankle. They stayed like that for a minute, staring at each other’s visor, before they both let go. Geoff jumped back as soon as she let go, barely missing being hit by Lindsay’s own leg swinging out to knock him down.

“Couldn’t I have at least had breakfast first?” He asked but his only answer was a fist to the gut. Lindsay moved around him, using the visor’s blind spots to her advantage and giving him punches that were only barely held back. Geoff got his ass beat for what felt like hours before his knee finally connected with her stomach and knocked her over.

“Go get something to eat.” Lindsay said with a laugh, slowly sitting up. “You deserve it.”

“Am I going to have to earn all my meals this way?”

“Only if I have to keep training you when I should be practicing with the damn sniper rifle.”

“It’s not like I asked you to.”

“Then learn quickly.”

“Fucking training for a program I didn’t sign up for and I can’t even have breakfast first. This place is just great.”

“If you’re here, you’re here for a reason. Just make it through. If you die on a mission I lead I promise I will find a way to make you regret it.”

“By what, making my dead body train before it can eat too?” He startled when she laughed, and walked away to the sound. It was nice to know she did have a sense of humor. At least she was part human.

He wasn’t the only one to have a late breakfast- though he was the only one in armor. There were two others sitting at a table in the center of the room and it reminded Geoff of highschool. Everything about this was so ridiculous that he was waiting to hear the drama about how someone was so totally into someone else’s boyfriend and oh damn, look at her hair. God, somehow this was still better than those years. He grabbed something quick and sat down only a bit away from the others.

“You’re eating in your armor? Do you have a mission already?” The one across the table asked, nodding his head at Geoff.

“I think Lindsay got to him.” The other man answered for Geoff, eyes warm with pity and sympathy. “Sorry man. She did the same thing to me when I first got here.”

“Oh shit, newbie’s already got Lindsay training him? Lucky fucker, I’ve been asking her to spar with me forever!” The first man complained. “I’m Kerry, I was the newbie just before you.”

“Jack. I’ll be the one taking Lindsay’s place and building you up as soon as my knee heals.” The man to Geoff’s right smiled, motioning down at a brace. “Ryan tripped after we fought and fell on it. He’ll tell you differently but everyone else will tell you the truth. He’s just upset he still can’t beat me.”

“I’m Geoff. Hey, can I ask you guys something?”

“Sure.”

“How’d you end up as freelancers?”

“Oh.” Jack shared a glance with Kerry before taking a deep breath. “Be careful who you ask that to here. Some would take it as an insult.”

“I’m not trying to insult anyone, I’m asking because I sure as hell didn’t sign up for this shit.”

“I did. Ryan and I actually tried out for this specifically when joining. Out of a group of 20 we were picked as the top of the top. I don’t know what happened to the rest. I think some became simulation soldiers.”

“Simulation soldiers?”

“You’ll run into them later.” Kerry said, fiddling with his hands. “They’re...Training. I joined Project Freelancer too. I’m pre-”

“Bullshit.” Jack interrupted with a large smile and a chuckle. “Kerry here snuck onto our ship. Blaine was so impressed that anyone had snuck onto his ship without his notice that he recommended to the director themselves that he be added to the project. He’s not officially on the listing, but he’s one of us.”

“You snuck onto the ship?” Geoff asked. “Dude that’s dumb as dicks. You could have had a free life.”

“What about you then? How’d you end up here?” Kerry asked, clearly finished but lagging behind to talk.

“I’m still not really sure. Just got pulled from my reds and told ‘You’re going to go fight for all of us now kid’, put on a ship and sent here. What do we even do here? So far all I’ve seen is a bunch of people beating on one another.”

“Honestly, we’re in a downtime between missions so that’s all you’re really going to see. Well, at least until the new thing the director’s working on comes through.”

“New thing?”

“You’ll find out. I’m going to go, Chris promised he’d help me with sword practice.”

“You really should ask Kdin for that you know.” Jack said quietly, shaking his head.

“Kdin isn’t as nice as Chris is about it.”

“That’s because Kdin actually knows what he’s doing. Well, Geoff, congratulations on accidentally becoming a freelancer.”

“Gee, thanks.” Geoff scoffed, frowning.

“Try not to let it get you down too much. At least we’re still part of the fight. Well. Not much part of it because unless you’re on Master Chief’s team yourself you’re pretty much useless to the world, but. You get the point.”

“Just stop talking and get your knee healed will you? I want to eat in the morning.”

“Sure thing, buddy. Go take a shower and get out of your armor for now. You shouldn’t need it for the rest of the day. Come find me when you’re done. I’ll introduce you to the rest of the team.”

“There’s more of you? Are you all so fucking dramatic?”

“No. Some of us actually like sleep.” Jack chuckled and Geoff found himself smiling despite his mostly sour mood. “Seriously though, you reek.”

“Thanks, asshole.”

“Hey, I’ve got food in front of me. Of course I’m going to tell you that you fucking smell when I’m trying to eat.”

“Doesn’t seem to be slowing you down any.”

“It’ll take more than a sweaty man to tear me away from bacon, man.”

“I’ll try harder next time then.” Geoff left the cafeteria feeling a bit better with a full stomach and a few jokes behind him. Thank God not everyone was as insane as Lindsay, he had honestly been wondering if he was even going to make it out of training alive if he starved because he couldn’t land a hit. Hopefully the others Jack had mentioned would be more like him and Kerry- anything but more die hard soldiers.  Not that he got to find out, as soon as he was done changing he was being dragged into the meeting room.

The Director had a mission for them.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Kerry’s our way in. He’s going to get us through the locked door on the third floor right in front of the security. After he does, he’s going to kill the cams.” Lindsay said, her armored finger tapping against the hologram.

“You know, just once I’d like to break into a ship without knowing there’s a gun aimed for my head on the other side of the door.” Kerry muttered with a frown.

“Kdin, Matt and I are going to go in and be the retrieval team. Director says we’re looking for a sphere-like core. We get in, grab it, and get out. No big messes.”

“I never leave a big mess.” Geoff couldn’t tell if it was Kdin who spoke and Matt who rolled his eyes or the other way around. He wished he’d been introduced to everyone before this.

“Ryan, you and the newbie are on distracting duty. Try to keep the heat off of us and keep him alive.”

“I’m not a teacher, you know.” Ryan crossed his arms.

“You wrecked Jack’s knee, you have to take his responsibilities on. It’s not like I’m asking you to keep him from launching away.”

“I am right here, you know.” Geoff mumbled.

“Just show him how to make a show and stay alive.”

“Fine.” Ryan sighed.

“Alright. Now get the fuck out of here, all of you. We leave in 10. Kerry, go get Blaine.” She dismissed them with a wave of her hand and Geoff shuffled awkwardly back to the changing room. No wonder everyone always seemed to be in armor. If they got called in with this little warning, he’d probably be spending a lot of time in his armor too. He practically ran back out, praying he wouldn’t get lost. He managed to get where he needed to just barely in time with the help of some asshole in pink armor who kept laughing.

Blaine ended up being the same pilot who had originally flown Geoff here, and it was comforting to know that at least he wouldn’t have to worry about whether or not their pilot would get them there safely. He sat down quickly, buckled up, and didn’t say anything to the others. There was some sort of silence over all of them, even when Blaine asked if they were ready, and it made him tense as hell. There was no way he was ready to get tossed into the fray already.

“Newbie.” The one in orange nodded at him.

“I have a name.” Geoff replied.

“We all have names. Doesn’t stop them from sending us on suicide missions.”

“Kdin!” The soldier in the white armor cut him off. The red stripes down the helmet and arms were hard to look away from. “We’re doing what’s best for the Earth.”

“Yeah, whatever’s left of it.”

“Whatever’s left of it is better than trying to live in space for the rest of our lives!”

“Is it really? Do we really know that?”

“Jesus Christ Kdin, can’t you leave this shit alone? Don’t you remember what happened to Jordan?”

“Who’s Jordan?” Geoff asked, and frowned when the entire ship went silent again. “Who the fuck is Jordan and what happened to him?”

“Kerry, you’re dropping in now. Don’t over-use your jet pack. We’re not going to try to chase anyone through space.” Lindsay said, effectively ridding Geoff of any chance of finding out what they were talking about. The docking door opened and Geoff stared out at the black void they’d be diving head first into. He watched the Lavender blur that was Kerry disappear until there was nothing but the void staring back at him again.

“You nervous newb?” Kdin asked, and Geoff tore his gaze away from space.

“Is there something about breaking into a ship and playing distraction that’s supposed to make me not nervous?” He retorted, and smiled when Ryan snorted.

“Sure! The fact that you don’t have to put an object’s safety ahead of your own.”

“You’re sounding nervous yourself.”

“Would you fuckers shut up? I can’t hear myself think.” Kerry’s voice interrupted them over the radio.

“Hurry up Kerry. We’ve got 5 minutes until the next patrol, I can’t hold here forever.” Blaine called, and Geoff thought he just might be sick in his helmet.

“You try breaking in without raising an alarm! It’s fucking hard as shit, okay?”

“Kerry, just get it done. We can not be sitting out here all day.” Lindsay cut the argument off before it really began, voice stern and fed up. No one so much as sighed until Kerry spoke again.

“We’re in. Guard’ll be back up in about 5 minutes though, you guys might want to be quick.”

“Ryan, New Guy, get in there. Head over to the right, get the guard, and cause a distraction. Keep them off our ass so we can grab the objective and don’t die. I like keeping my mission survival rate at 100%.”

“I have a name you know.” Geoff muttered, trying to think about anything besides asking how they were meant to make a distraction.

“Survive this and you’ll earn it.” Ryan said from his right. They both stood and made their way towards the bay door of the ship. Geoff felt the panic rise in him as he was faced with nothing but space and far away stars. What if they messed up? What if something went wrong? Would they leave him out here- floating and unable to get anywhere? They didn’t care about him enough to give him his name- why would they care about his life enough to bring him back? He didn’t get the chance to ask how to even direct his flight- Ryan pushed him out of the door and left him to figure it out on his own before he started floating away.

Thankfully it was just button pushing and leaning. Two things he could do quickly and not get swept away because of. He followed Ryan down into the other ship, and held his M7 closer. At least he’d been able to keep that when they’d made him trade his armor. Right now, as he turned off the pack and tried to keep up with someone who had no problem with the transition between jumping through space and walking on the frictionless steel floor of the ship, the familiar weight in his hands was his only comfort. Managing not to send himself sliding into a wall, he continued to stay behind the other.

“You have no idea what it means to run distraction as a freelancer do you?” Ryan broke the silence between them first and Geoff shook his head. “That’s what I thought. Basically, we’re running targets. We are going in there, shooting wildly, and trying not to get killed so they can get the shit they need and get out.”

“Jesus Christ. That’s dark as dicks. Is whatever they’re grabbing worth our lives?” Geoff asked, grabbing his gun a little tighter.

“No, but we’re not allowed to say that. Since you’re new and didn’t want to be here I’ll give you a warning- be careful what you say around certain people. Some won’t hesitate to turn you in to the Director if they think it’ll get them in better standing. Be careful who you trust.”

“Jesus, how do you fuckers live if you can’t even talk to one another?”

“We just watch what we say when others can hear us. It’s not like we never talk.”

“What happens when you do get turned in?”

“Jordan knows.”

“Who’s Jordan?”

“He was a great man once. You’ve got to stop asking questions, Geoff.”

“So you do know my name.”

“The less connected you seem with a person, the less likely others will go after them if they’re mad. Get ready, we’re going after the main group there.

“The ones with the rocket launchers?!”

“Yes.”

“What the fuck is so precious they’re blocking it with rocky launchers?”

“I honestly have no idea. No one besides Linds knows.”

“That seems like a flawless plan.”

“Not that I disagree, but would you focus? If we don’t start soon it’ll be Kdin and Matt who will pay the price.”

“Sorry.” They went silent and Geoff had never been happier that the radios had that private channel function. Even if he wasn’t sure that he trusted Ryan’s words, the very idea of anyone deciding to use him as a fall guy made him sick. The two of them worked their way to what little cover they could, waiting for the right moment to strike. When one of the two with the rocket launchers turned their back, Ryan took the first shot. The soldier went down and Geoff had to focus to fire his own gun. He wasn’t as good a gunman, but he managed to get a few down to their knees and break the side of the other rocket launcher handler’s helmet.

The first rocket was too close to his right foot. While the soldier was reloading, Ryan ran forward to the next bit of cover he could find and took aim at some of the wounded. Apparently there was no mercy in freelancers. Trying to suppress the shaking his body wanted to do, Geoff pulled his gun up again aimed for the rocket launcher itself. He missed but it ended up working out better for him- a shot straight through the right hand side of the soldier’s visor and they were down. No more rocket launchers, just soldiers who could pick them up at any time. Tuning out the little voice that was telling him he was going to die, Geoff ran forward to the next bit of cover across from Ryan.

“Ry, you guys should be able to leave in a few minutes. We’ve got the artifact, we’re heading back.” Lindsay’s voice washed over them both and Ryan nodded even though the radio wouldn’t pick up on it.

“Got it. We’ve got at least 20 live ones still here. How are we on leaving evidence for this?” Ryan asked and Geoff felt his stomach flip. If evidence meant what he thought it meant…

“Leave no stragglers.”

“Got it.”

“What does that mean?” Geoff asked, firing blindly over his cover.

“It means that if they can walk when we leave, we didn’t do our job.”

“Do you ever do a mission where someone doesn’t die?”

“No.”

“Jesus.”

“Congratulations on joining the freelancers and becoming a murderer. None of us knew either.”

“We’re leaving. You’ve got two minutes to get back before Blaine takes off.” Lindsay’s voice cut off whatever Ryan was going to say next and Geoff looked over at the soldiers they’d been firing at. Carefully, he made sure his radio was on his and Ryan’s private channel before speaking.

“Is there any way that we can leave them?...They’re not getting up, they’re already mourning their losses...Can’t we just leave?” Geoff asked in a quiet voice, as if his whispers would be overheard.

“As far as you know, my finger never left the trigger.” Ryan said as he stood up. “Let’s get out of here before someone decides to be a hero.” Geoff nodded and they ran. His heart was beating faster than it’d ever done in his entire life and he was sure he was going to go into cardiac arrest by the time they rounded on their only exit. They jumped and Geoff forgot to turn on his pack for all of a minute. In a panic he reached out- Ryan grabbed his shoulder and pulled Geoff along with him until the latter could get his own pack on. Thanks went unsaid as they focused on getting back.

In the ship, there was a huge cube thing blocking the facing seats from each other. Kdin was holding the side of his leg and Lindsay was standing with Blaine. As soon as they sat down, Blaine took off. Geoff had to stop himself from asking what the artifact that they’d put their lives on the line for was. He was more focused on the fact that Kerry was trying to help Kdin put pressure on his leg. It wasn’t until they landed back on the Mother of Invention that Geoff realized why. There was blood dripping from the orange armor through a hole just above his knee. Kerry and Matt rushed him away, hopefully to med bay, while Lindsay took the giant cube on a dolly and disappeared. Left unsure what to do after a mission, he stood there like an idiot until Ryan waved him over.

“Go do whatever for a bit. Don’t get out of your armor yet. Lindsay will come grab us to go over how we all fucked up or if we did alright enough for the director not to care.” Ryan said.

“Shouldn’t we report immediately?” Geoff asked but Ryan just shook his head.

“No one reports immediately anymore...The director doesn’t like to meet with anyone.”

“That’s dumb.”

“That’s Freelancers.”

“You guys are free. Ryan, come see me when you get the chance.” Lindsay’s voice came over the radio and Geoff sighed in relief. He thanked Ryan and headed off towards the room he’d been assigned to. Sleep sounded good for the next few hours. Or days. Or years. Really, all he wanted was sleep and answers. Though it wasn’t looking like he’d be getting either any time soon. Kerry was waiting for him outside his door.

 

 


End file.
